Springtime in New York: It’s construction season

Q: I drive every morning to work on I-787 heading south. I get off at Exit 3B (Madison Avenue). I want to know when someone is going to fix the potholes right when you get onto the exit. They are horrible and someone is going to lose a tire one of these days.

—Jodi Caruso, Schaghticoke A: With spring comes the start of construction season, and the state Department of Transportation patched the potholes on Exit 3B in the past two weeks, said Bryan Viggiani,

DOT public information officer. A maintenance supervisor rechecked the location this week and confirmed that the DOT’S patching material is still intact.

The workers used cold patch, which is flexible at any temperature and can be used no matter how cold it is outside.

I-88: The state Department of Transportation announced that major construction has begun along I-88 from Exit 19 in Worcester to Exit 21 in Richmondville to improve mobility and enhance safety.

The $45.6 million project will resurface 28 miles of pavement on the interstate to restore a smooth riding surface. Adjoining ramps will also be resurfaced. The bridge over Beards Hollow between Exits 20 and 21 will be replaced with two new bridges, and 14 bridges between Worcester and the Schoharie County line will be rehabilitated. Crews will also repair and replace culverts.

The DOT will use warm mix asphalt, which reduces costs, cuts carbon emissions and improves pavement performance and durability compared with traditional “hot mix” asphalt.

I-88 will stay open during the 2021 and 2022 construction seasons, but drivers should expect new traffic patterns between Exits 19 and 21 and a detour around the Exit 20 westbound on and off ramps starting this spring. Detours will be removed in the winter, and there will be more detours in the spring of 2022.

Pavement and bridge work will also cut traffic to one lane in each direction.

Twin Bridges: Expect overnight lane closures on the Adirondack Northway (I-87) Twin Bridges starting April 15 as the DOT prepares for a project to paint the lower portions of the bridges’ arches. Travel lanes

will be shifted slightly and narrowed one foot each, and temporary concrete barriers will be installed on the shoulders to protect workers.

Three lanes of traffic should be maintained at all times during the painting, which is scheduled to occur during the

day until June 30 and after Labor Day until the end of November. Painting is also scheduled to occur under the bridge over the summer with minimal impacts to traffic.

A DOT contractor will also diamond-grind the riding surface of the Twin Bridges, requiring overnight and early morning lane closures over the summer.

Clinton Avenue ramp, Albany: The Clinton Avenue ramp between Quay Street and Broadway will be permanently closed starting Monday at 8 a.m. for the DOT’S work to convert the ramp into the Albany Skyway.

Drivers from Quay Street should follow the posted detour to Water Street, then turn right from Water Street to Orange Street to reach Broadway.

I-787: The off-ramp from the westbound Dunn Memorial Bridge to I-787 South will be closed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily Monday through Friday this week as the DOT conducts concrete repairs. A detour will be posted along Quay and Water streets. The ramp will also be closed to both directions of I-787 on Saturday, April 10, from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. to prepare for the installation of new signs. Drivers will be detoured to the South Mall Expressway.

Drivers should also prepare for nighttime and weekend ramp closures

in this area as part of the work. Detours will be posted. All work is weather permitting.

Car seat checks: Certified child passenger safety technicians will be available on Wednesday, April 14, in Latham from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m to conduct free car seat checks. The event is by appointment only. Call 518-783-3258 or email gtraffic@troopers.ny.gov to schedule. Checks will take place at 760 Troy Schenectady Road.